The life and work of the English architect Cedric Price (1934–2003) remain something of an enigma in the history of postwar architectural culture in Britain and abroad. Although few of Price's projects were ever built, the enduring influence of his ideas and design philosophy has secured him a unique cult status as a radical architect and intellectual who persistently questioned architecture's role in society and the limits of his profession. He is most often celebrated for his seminal work of the 1960s, frequently with reference to his two most “iconic” projects, the Fun Palace and the Potteries Thinkbelt, but the wider scope of Price's oeuvre—which spans more than four decades and includes an important body of writings, lectures, and teaching experiments—remains largely unexplored.

Two recent publications have made important steps toward remedying this situation. The more comprehensive of the two is Samantha Hardingham's meticulously researched and beautifully written chronological account Cedric Price Works 1952–2003, which is impressive for many reasons, not the least of which is its sheer size. Hardingham's ambitious study is organized into two volumes that retrace the entire trajectory of Price's life, education, and career, from his early childhood in the postindustrial region of England known as the Potteries (which would later serve as the setting for his Thinkbelt proposal) to his final projects for the redevelopment of Midtown Manhattan or Greater London, before he closed his practice in 2002 (Price died in his London flat in the summer of 2003). The first volume is essentially a biography and a detailed chronological inventory of all the architect's projects; the second volume is an anthology of his articles and lectures, the inclusion of which is significant in itself. The first volume is subdivided into five periods covering roughly Price's education and the four decades of his professional …

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